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Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
Longitudinal evidence that infants develop their imitation abilities by being imitated
Samuel Essler1, Tamara Becher2, Carolina Pletti3
1Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802 Munich, Germany; FOM University of Applied Sciences, Leimkugelstraße 6, 45141 Essen, Germany.
Infants develop imitation skills when caregivers imitate their actions. Maternal imitation at 14 months predicts infant imitation at 18 months, highlighting social interaction
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Neuroscience
Background:
- Humans are considered highly social, with imitation proposed as key to cultural intelligence.
- The developmental origins of imitation are debated, challenging assumptions of it being an inborn ability.
- A novel hypothesis suggests infants learn to imitate by being imitated by others.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether being imitated by caregivers in infancy fosters imitation abilities.
- To examine the role of maternal imitation and sensitivity in infant imitation development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking maternal imitation and sensitivity.
- Assessed infant imitation abilities at 18 months.
- Analyzed the predictive and mediational roles of maternal behaviors.
Main Results:
- Maternal imitation at 14 months positively predicted infant imitation abilities at 18 months.
- Maternal imitation mediated the effect of maternal sensitivity (at 6 months) on infant imitation.
Conclusions:
- Being imitated by caregivers is a crucial psychological process for developing infant imitation.
- Social interactions, specifically maternal imitation, are vital for emergence of imitation in human cultural learning.
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